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HomeNews centreDoors open on treasure trail of historic Edinburgh sites this weekend

Doors open on treasure trail of historic Edinburgh sites this weekend

Published Monday, 19th September 2011

Take a step into the past and discover some of Edinburgh's most historic locations this weekend when a number of Council-managed venues play host to Doors Open Day 2011.

Edinburgh
Doors Open Day is organised by The Cockburn Association (Edinburgh's Civic
Trust). Now in its 21st year, the event has become one of the Capital's most
popular free days out.

Councillor Deidre Brock, Culture and Leisure Convener for the City of
Edinburgh Council, said: "Doors Open Day is a wonderful opportunity to explore
some of Edinburgh's most historic and fascinating sites and buildings and we're
very much looking forward to welcoming the crowds to all our venues this coming
weekend. Take in the stunning city views from Old Observatory House on Calton
Hill, hear the words of Burns at the Monument erected in his honour, walk in the
footsteps of Edinburgh's civic leaders past and present at the City Chambers or
simply soak up the tranquil surroundings at St Bernard's Mineral Well - whatever
special place you choose to visit (and we hope you'll take in them all!), you're
certain to have a memorable and informative day out."

Another chance to see inside this beautiful neoclassical temple on Regent
Road, built by architect Thomas Hamilton in 1831 and recently restored as part
of the Twelve Monuments Restoration Project.

Based on the Choragic monument of Lysicrates in Athens, the monument was
designed to house a statue of Robert Burns by sculptor John Flaxman. Flaxman
used the portrait of Burns by Alexander Nasmyth as a model.

Members of the Edinburgh and District Burns Club will express their love of
the monument and Burns in poetry and song.

The City Chambers houses a number of key civic spaces used by the Council and
members of the public for civic and private functions, including weddings.

In recent years, the City Chambers has undergone extensive conservation work
to retain original features and update the general infrastructure of the
building. The focus of this has been the restoration of the main chamber to its
former splendour, along with the refurbishment of the impressive ten storey
central staircase.

Calton Old Burial Ground in Waterloo Place is one of the 'famous five'
historic graveyards in the heart of Edinburgh World Heritage Site and was opened
in 1718 by the Trades of Calton. The site is situated on a spectacular slope,
enjoying superb views of the city. Calton Old contains many magnificent
monuments dating from 18th and 19th centuries commemorating eminent figures from
the history of Edinburgh and Scotland. Highlights include: the mausoleum to
David Hume; the Scottish-American Soldiers Monument, erected in 1893 to the
Scottish Soldiers who died in the American Civil War and the only such memorial
outside the US; and the imposing obelisk of the Martyrs' Monument put up in 1844
to commemorate the political martyrs who were deported to Botany Bay in 1793.

The New Observatory on Calton Hill was built to the plan of WH Playfair
between 1818 and 1822 to be a Scientific Observatory and is the earliest of
Playfair's many Edinburgh masterpieces. Modeled on the Temple of the Four Winds
in Athens, it blends with the nearby Classical Architecture. The building was
the Royal Observatory throughout the 18th century and some of the original
instruments and time pieces can still be viewed in their historic setting.

This A-listed 18th century home (pictured above) commands breathtaking views over Edinburgh
from its lofty position on Calton Hill. Designed by James Craig, the famous
"architect of the New Town", in the latter part of the 18th century, the house
was originally home to the city observatory. It was last lived in during the
1980s, by which time it had become very dilapidated and pervaded by various
types of rot. By 2002, the building was on Historic Scotland's Buildings at Risk
Register. Restoration work began in late 2007 and Old Observatory House is now
available through Vivat Trust for short term holiday
stays year-round.

Alexander Nasmyth's enchanting neoclassical building was constructed in the
1790s. It has a domed ceiling supported by ten columns covering a statue of the
goddess Hygeia. Water from the mineral spring was popular for its supposed
health giving properties from the mid 18th century until the well's closure in
1940.

Earlier this year, the Council worked with Edinburgh World Heritage and the
Fruitmarket Gallery on a major project to bring the historic Scotsman Steps
(connecting North Bridge with Market Street) back to life.

Originally built in 1899, as part of the Scotsman building, the steps have
undergone a major refurbishment to create an attractive way to get quickly from
one level of the city to another as well as creating a unique art destination in
its own right.

Commissioned by the Fruitmarket Gallery, in an installation entitled Work
1059, the Turner Prize-winning Scottish artist Martin Creed has had the 104
Scotsman Steps clad in different coloured marble.